pearclick Posted March 6, 2014 Posted March 6, 2014 I feel really intimidated and in way over my head reading everyone's analytic writing samples. Everything I know about philosophy is Continental (or Logic) and my writing sample was on Nietzsche and Schopenhauer's respective approaches to Will in regards to it being a pluralistic or monistic force* *yes, i realize that "force" is a careless choice of words but w/e i don't even care anymore villanova, where art thou?
bar_scene_gambler Posted March 6, 2014 Author Posted March 6, 2014 I feel really intimidated and in way over my head reading everyone's analytic writing samples. Everything I know about philosophy is Continental (or Logic) and my writing sample was on Nietzsche and Schopenhauer's respective approaches to Will in regards to it being a pluralistic or monistic force* *yes, i realize that "force" is a careless choice of words but w/e i don't even care anymore villanova, where art thou? Coming from the guy who is specializing in Nietzsche and who wrote on Kant and Chinese Philosophy, I'm right there with you. What do you mean by pluralistic and monistic force?
Weltgeist Posted March 6, 2014 Posted March 6, 2014 idk I guess all you need to do is write about Hegel and you get a couple offers, which is what I did. which is weird, I figure Nietzsche is somewhat more mainstream (or at least accessible) in general than Hegel
pearclick Posted March 6, 2014 Posted March 6, 2014 (edited) @bar_scene_gambler So, you know how Nietzsche's Will to Power draws from Schopenhauer's Will, but instead of being pessimistic and self-denying, it's triumphant and self-oriented? I say that this can be attributed to the fact that S's Will is this broad, un-individuated energy that forces empathy and identification with the whole. So it is unmotivated to work for the betterment of the self; it has no "warrior spirit." Whereas, N's WtP is pluralistic: Will to Power as an entity (so to speak) exists because it is made up of individual Wills to Power. So there is competition, struggle between those individual Wills, and that is the motivation for fending off despair. I also talk a little bit about the Dionysian, because you would think it contradicts the pluralistic Will, but really, it doesn't. I'd post it online, but I'm a little scared of the judgment of superior philosophers. Edited March 6, 2014 by pearclick
dgswaim Posted March 6, 2014 Posted March 6, 2014 Crossing my fingers and wishing on a star in hopes that Purdue might send out notifications tomorrow. And throw in Oklahoma for good measure. pearclick 1
Bizzle Posted March 6, 2014 Posted March 6, 2014 I really wish Princeton and Michigan would send their decisions before my admit weekends start up... The uncertainty of having schools yet unheard from is distracting! philosopheme, DHumeDominates and Philhopeful 3
bar_scene_gambler Posted March 6, 2014 Author Posted March 6, 2014 So, you know how Nietzsche's Will to Power draws from Schopenhauer's Will, but instead of being pessimistic and self-denying, it's triumphant and self-oriented? I say that this can be attributed to the fact that S's Will is this broad, un-individuated energy that forces empathy and identification with the whole. So it is unmotivated to work for the betterment of the self; it has no "warrior spirit." Whereas, N's WtP is pluralistic: Will to Power as an entity (so to speak) exists because it is made up of individual Wills to Power. So there is competition, struggle between those individual Wills, and that is the motivation for fending off despair. I also talk a little bit about the Dionysian, because you would think it contradicts the pluralistic Will, but really, it doesn't. I'd post it online, but I'm a little scared of the judgment of superior philosophers. Hey hey hey, I never said I'd judge you. In all seriousness though, it sounds interesting.
pearclick Posted March 6, 2014 Posted March 6, 2014 Hey hey hey, I never said I'd judge you. In all seriousness though, it sounds interesting. Thanks
MongooseMayhem Posted March 6, 2014 Posted March 6, 2014 You're lucky you didn't include the abstract: "Andy Clark and David Chalmers argue that the hypothesis of extended memory and belief (HEMB) provides more explanatory power then its denial;" Do you mean than its denial? Your writing sample would have contained an error in the first sentence. Wow, I'm a dumb. I didn't want to go to those conferences anyway. TheVineyard 1
TheVineyard Posted March 6, 2014 Posted March 6, 2014 Wow, I'm a dumb. I didn't want to go to those conferences anyway. I was told that the most important page of my writing sample was the first page, the most important paragraph was the first paragraph, and the most important sentence was the first sentence. =P Silly_Socrates 1
Philhopeful Posted March 6, 2014 Posted March 6, 2014 Wow, I'm a dumb. I didn't want to go to those conferences anyway. It's okay. My abstract had a sentence that just stopped for the first four schools I applied to.
TheVineyard Posted March 6, 2014 Posted March 6, 2014 It's okay. My abstract had a sentence that just stopped for the first four schools I applied to. Did you get into any of them?
bar_scene_gambler Posted March 6, 2014 Author Posted March 6, 2014 (edited) Thanks No problem. I have a new theory. I think we're being rejected because these god damn analytics with their hygiene and conservative haircuts are taking all the spots. There's just no love for the finer things in life these days. EDIT: Except for Dylanhelloglue (or however it's spelled). He's a nice analytic because he declined GSU's offer. I like him. Edited March 6, 2014 by bar_scene_gambler pearclick, Differance and Weltgeist 3
pearclick Posted March 6, 2014 Posted March 6, 2014 It's the analytics! With their theories about mind and language and science. They're so...modern.
Philhopeful Posted March 6, 2014 Posted March 6, 2014 Did you get into any of them? Yep, Austin was one. The readers must have been very forgiving.
PhD applicant Posted March 6, 2014 Posted March 6, 2014 I was told that the most important page of my writing sample was the first page, the most important paragraph was the first paragraph, and the most important sentence was the first sentence. =P Crap, no one told me that. What does that mean? I think I better go check my paper...
Platonist Posted March 6, 2014 Posted March 6, 2014 If a school (such as Berkeley and Duke) has sent out the acceptances and wait lists, but one did not receive anything (acceptance, wait list, or rejection), could this mean that he or she be on the unannounced extended wait list? Or it means a rejection that is yet to be sent out? The uncertainty is killing me.
philosophe Posted March 6, 2014 Posted March 6, 2014 If a school (such as Berkeley and Duke) has sent out the acceptances and wait lists, but one did not receive anything (acceptance, wait list, or rejection), could this mean that he or she be on the unannounced extended wait list? Or it means a rejection that is yet to be sent out? The uncertainty is killing me. Rejections are yet to be sent out. I wish it weren't so :'(
Platonist Posted March 6, 2014 Posted March 6, 2014 Rejections are yet to be sent out. I wish it weren't so :'( Thanks, philosophe. Some schools are so slow in notifying applicants their decisions. it seems they do not bother to send out rejections until after April 15. That is disappointing. By the way, you seem to choose Rochester over Iowa for PhD study. I am not sure about your justification of the choice. But best of luck.
PhiPhiPhi Posted March 6, 2014 Posted March 6, 2014 Everything I know about philosophy is Continental (or Logic) Those don't typically go together.. Cottagecheeseman and Edit_Undo 2
Establishment Posted March 6, 2014 Posted March 6, 2014 Those don't typically go together.. I got two words for you buddy: Hegel's. Logic. isostheneia 1
dgswaim Posted March 6, 2014 Posted March 6, 2014 I got two words for you buddy: Hegel's. Logic. LOL! I remember buying Hegel's "Logic" when I was like 19 at a half price books. I didn't know anything about philosophy yet and I thought it was going to be a book about logic. I was wrong.
philosophe Posted March 6, 2014 Posted March 6, 2014 (edited) Thanks, philosophe. Some schools are so slow in notifying applicants their decisions. it seems they do not bother to send out rejections until after April 15. That is disappointing. By the way, you seem to choose Rochester over Iowa for PhD study. I am not sure about your justification of the choice. But best of luck. Yeah, I wish they would just let us off the hook. But i have a sad feeling that they will shortly. Re: Rochester v. Iowa, Rochester has made the process super personal, I would be one of two incoming students, and they offered me a lot of money. Also, I have a tie to that department (a former professor of mine is now tenure track there) so I have a number of reasons to be leaning that way. I honestly haven't heard a lot about Iowa's rep -- though Richard Fumerton is supposed to be an excellent epistemologist, and they don't make it into the PGR top 50. They offered me an additional fellowship, but it only provides real money for 4 years, and the additional year is only about $9,000 (although they would give me the first and last year without any TA responsibilities), which seems unacceptably low to me. Do you know something about Iowa that I don't? I'm definitely up for more info. Edited March 6, 2014 by philosophe Hypatience 1
DHumeDominates Posted March 6, 2014 Posted March 6, 2014 Thanks, philosophe. Some schools are so slow in notifying applicants their decisions. it seems they do not bother to send out rejections until after April 15. That is disappointing. By the way, you seem to choose Rochester over Iowa for PhD study. I am not sure about your justification of the choice. But best of luck. I bet if you contacted those schools, they'd tell you what's up. But I could be wrong.
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